In the MEGA show, Helper Mini creator Kevin K. Perry has curated large and small works by artists who have been featured in Helper Mini over the past year. Work by Mike Whiting in the foreground. Image courtesy of Helper Mini.

Waiting to surprise you along the heart of historic Main Street in the former coal mining town of Helper, Utah, the Helper Mini is proving that even small spaces can spark creative conversations. At just 14 inches square—the size of one of those neighborhood “libraries”— this micro-gallery has, for the past 14 months, hosted a monthly rotation of contemporary art that draws both locals and visitors.

The idea began as a lighthearted experiment, but its reception has been anything but small. “There are people walking by all day, and regularly someone will stop to tell me it makes them smile, or that they and their kid look forward to the new Instagram reel every month,” says the Mini’s creator Kevin K. Perry. “I’m amazed by the constant reaction and never expected it to connect with people quite this much.”

Perry is a designer and artist who has been active in the Salt Lake City arts community for more than two decades. He has worked with Struck, the University of Utah, and AIGA, and co-founded Salt Lake Design Week and helped rebrand the Utah Arts Festival. He was drawn to Helper because of its identity as a creative hub and magnet for artists for more than two decades.

The Helper Mini as it appeared on June 6, 2024, the day before its opening. Image by Shawn Rossiter.

“When I started the Mini, I thought of it as a fun little local project,” Perry recalls. “But within a couple of months, I noticed it was drawing attention online. People were resharing, tagging us on social media, saying they’d stopped in Helper on their way to Moab just to see it and snap a photo. That’s when I realized it had a reach way beyond our town.”

Over its run, the Helper Mini has exhibited artists from Utah and beyond, including Trent Call, Maya Lalvani, Debbie Millman, James Akers, Carol Sogard, Alexandra Fuller, and others. The works have spanned oil, acrylic, mixed media, photography, neon, sculpture and interactive installations. Selecting artists is part curation, part conversation. “Right now, it’s a mix,” Perry says. “I invite artists I know personally or whose work I really admire, and I also accept some who reach out to me. I’ve been booked up at least six months ahead since the start, but in 2026, I’ll be introducing a formal submission process.”

Even in a town known for its creative energy, the Helper Mini has carved its niche. “Helper was already full of amazing, talented artists, so the creative reputation was here long before the Mini,” Perry says. “I’ve just been lucky to have everyone be so supportive—putting it on the Gallery Stroll maps, sending tourists to check it out, and even getting lots of locals involved. It’s really become part of the fabric of this quirky town.”

Now, the Mini is going big—at least for one weekend. The Mega Helper Mini Show, running August 14–17, will expand the concept into a large-scale gallery exhibition. Visitors will see the original “mini” works alongside larger pieces by some of the same artists, offering a fuller view of their creative range. It has been timed in conjunction with The Helper Arts, Music and Film Festival, a cornerstone of the region’s cultural calendar for more than three decades. This year’s festival promises fine arts and crafts, sculpture, painting, ceramics, jewelry, and a Children’s Art Yard, plus musical performances spanning country, rock, and pop on the Main Street Park stage. A bustling Artist Marketplace and food court encourage lingering.

The festival’s mission—to encourage art and culture in Carbon County, support the local artist community, stimulate the local economy, and make art accessible to everyone—aligns naturally with the ethos of the Helper Mini. “It is a lot of work,” Perry admits, “but it’s also incredibly fun to collaborate with so many different artists. For now, I’m committed to the monthly rotation. I love the constant change, and so do the viewers.”

And while the Mega Helper Mini Show is a one-off for now, Perry doesn’t plan on slowing down. He still has ideas for what the Mini can become and a wish list of artists. “One is the Dutch sculptor Frodo Bolhuis. I invited him once, but timing didn’t work out. I’d also love to do more interactive installations, especially after seeing how popular they’ve been with recent exhibits like Alex Fuller’s or the Great Salt Lake Hopeline. I’ve got some plans brewing for digital and performance-based pieces, too.”

Mega and Mini works by Salt Lake City artist Trent Call, who was Helper Mini’s first featured artist in June, 2024. Image courtesy of Helper Mini.

The MEGA Helper Mini Show, Helper Art Workshops, 76 South Main Street, Helper, August 14-17 during the Helper Arts Festival.

Shawn Rossiter

The founder of Artists of Utah and editor of its online magazine, 15 Bytes, Shawn Rossiter has undergraduate degrees in English, French and Italian Literature and studied Comparative Literature in graduate school before pursuing a career in art.